


Breakaway

by KyeAbove



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Bonding, Gen, Joey Drew and Sammy Lawrence are Brothers-In-Law, Not A Joey Drew Redemption Story, Past Character Death, Period-Typical Racism, Post-Chapter 5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-05 21:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17332532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: After an act of violence, Joey’s nephew leaves his two kids with Joey, and Joey is forced to accept not all things in life are within his control.





	1. Chapter 1

Joey had been alone a long time. Oh, sure, he had his ink version of Henry pop in ever so often, but that was hollow interaction, and Joey always sent him back where he belonged soon after. In what little interaction he did have with his family, they’d suggested a dog, or even a cat, to keep him company, because they didn’t see Joey liked being alone. At least, he thought he deserved to be alone. 

Life was good to him in old age. His career as an author wasn’t as profitable as it could be, but it paid the bills and the rent. His body was starting to fail him even more, but that was only to be expected. Yes, his body was a little more degraded than most other fifty-eight year olds, but it’d been almost as bad in his twenties too, so Joey was used to it. At least Joey was alive, since he couldn’t say the same of everyone. 

Today was just like any other day. He’d woken up, and prepared breakfast for himself, and then spent the time since writing. His newest novel was near completion of its first draft, and he was eager to be able to start his second draft. That too, and he had a few letters to reply to. While Allison Connor hadn’t sent another letter, Wally and he were communicating rather regularly back and forth. His former janitor seemed to find Joey reaching out to him amusing and in turn told him of all the odd stuff he got up to in his life these days. 

He’d laughed when Wally mentioned being married, since he never seemed the type to catch anyone’s attention, but he did think it over, and it had been almost 30 years. Anything was possible. Wally had proved that now at 47, he was slightly more mature, even though he certainly fell a little too close to his grandkids level.

His letter back to Wally was the last thing he finished writing before he moved to the kitchen to prepare lunch. If Joey was right, he should be expecting his ink Henry to escape the studio soon. The ink creature had grown consistent and Joey was usually able to predict when he’d show up.

Until then, Joey had his day planned out. After eating, he’d find some postage for Wally’s letter, and then continue writing until dinnertime, or when the inked Henry showed up. Whatever came first. 

A day completely planned out and foreseen. That is, until Joey heard a knock on his apartment's entrance door. At first, Joey thought it was nothing, and then he heard the knock again, this one more demanding. Still, Joey ignored it, thinking they might have the wrong apartment and would realize it eventually. 

The knocking got louder, and then stopped, and then through the wood, Joey heard a voice. “This is the police. Open up!”

Right apartment then. Joey grabbed his cane from beside him, and hobbled to the door. Upon opening the door, he saw a very familiar face.

“Officer Lawrence. Good to see you.” Joey stepped out of the way, as if he was allowing entry, but held his cane in front of the door. Officer Lawrence rolled his eyes, and stepped around the cane. To Joey’s surprise, two children trailed in after the police officer. The man’s bastards. Joey knew Officer Lawrence was married to neither of the kids’ mothers. The younger was more justified, in that Officer Lawrence couldn’t legally marry a black woman, like the boy’s mother was. 

“Cut the crap, Uncle Joey.” Officer Lawrence demanded with a glare, kicking the cane for good measure. 

It was true. Officer Elwin Lawrence was his youngest nephew, son of his sister Marjorie and her husband Sammy. Sammy had been an employee at Joey’s long since closed animation studio, and hit it off far too well with Marjorie. 

Joey had been waiting almost three decades for the marriage to end, as he hoped it would. That, and Sammy kept trying to one up Joey in their constant race to be the better and more popular novelist. That was why he’d written the Sammy Lawrence equivalent in his little personal project as a crazy cultist. Joey though it’d be the perfect insult, even though Sammy would never know Joey was doing it. 

Why was his nephew here? He usually never bothered Joey over any questionable things he knew Joey had done, foregoing arresting him as long as Joey kept quiet about what he’d caught Elwin doing. So, why was he here now, with his children no less. 

The older one, a girl of either nine or ten, was Joleen. Joey only remembered that because he’d once heard Sammy complain that her name was too close to Joey’s, and the memory stuck. The younger one, a boy of maybe five, had a name that escaped him. They were both looking up at Joey with curious eyes. That was how Joey really took notice of the boy’s injuries. 

Joey looked at Elwin, who seemed grim. It certainly had to do with how Elwin’s son had a black eye forming, and was holding himself in a way that indicated more pain. 

“Uncle. I need another favor.” 

Joey didn’t like where this was going. 

“And what would that be?”

Elwin looked angry with himself, and what he was able to say, but he said it anyways. 

“Some terrible, terrible people grabbed Nate.” The little boy’s name was Nate then. “Beat him up. Beat up a young child! Just because he happens to be half black!” Elwin looked enraged, and Joey felt his own disgust rise. 

Nate clicked his tongue, and then pressed into his sister’s side, uneasy by the reminder. Joleen gave her brother a comforting pat on the head. “It’s going to be alright, Nate. I hope.” 

“I know it’d be a lot to ask of you, but I need you to look after them for now.”

Joey was right when he suspected he wouldn’t like whatever Elwin was here for. 

“What?! Why? Why me?!” Joey asked, bewildered that Elwin would just suddenly show up like this and request that of him.

“Well, you’re pretty cut off from the family. If those people come looking for Nate, they won’t think to come here, if they even know where you live. And I don’t want Joleen getting mixed in this too, so I want her safe as well. Please,” Elwin was holding his heart out for Joey’s kindness. “I’m asking this as a father. You might not understand fatherly feelings since you were never much of a father to your daughter, but I’m so scared for them!”

That struck a chord. Elwin was right. Joey had been an upright terrible person when it came to his daughter when she was growing up and even as Joey was now loosening up, he’d lost all chance of bonding with her. He had grandchildren now he’d never met. Still, Joey wasn’t sure Elwin was making the best decision here. For the very reason Joey was still a very garbage person.

All it took though was for Nate to break away from his sister, and pull at Joey’s pant leg until Joey looked down and caught his pleading eyes. If he could speak, he’d likely be begging for Joey to accept him and his sister. Why Nate trusted him, Joey wasn’t sure, but Joey made his decision. 

“Fine, I’ll take them in.”

Joey didn’t expect the hug he received from Elwin, and waited with tension until his nephew released him and crouched down to talk to the children.

“Be good to your Uncle Joey. I’ll be back for you as soon as I can.” Elwin stood up again after receiving hugs from both his children, and looked at Joey with such appreciation. “Thank you.” And then Officer Elwin Lawrence made his leave, closing the door in a haste behind him. 

Now, Joey was alone with two children, who looked both parts scared and confused. Joey wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with children, but he smiled, hoping it wasn’t a crazy, scary smile, and asked “Do you two like stories?”

And he could only hope this was all to be short term in the grand scheme of things. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey muses, about recent developments and old ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter is meant mostly to set up a few more concepts before a special house guest shows up.

It turned out these kids did in fact like stories, and Joey was able to entertain them with such tales while he finished making lunch, preparing food for them as well, and then sitting down to eat. Which then allowed him time to figure out what he was supposed to do with them.

His nephew hadn’t even specified how long he’d leave the two here. Only for the day? Overnight and then back the next day? Longer? They’d better hope he could find them a place to sleep, or at least comfy blankets to make the floor the best it could be. Joey was far too old to give up his own bed.

They had no bags, only the clothing on their bodies. Maybe that meant it was only for a few hours they’d be here. Or it’d been a rushed decision to drop them off here, with no time to stop by home to collect their things. Possibly directly from wherever Nate got his medical attention.

That wave of rage returned. Joey Drew was no good man, but hating someone just because of their race had always been something he’d been against. And while he thought his nephew had made a few wrong choices in his life -to which Joey had no right to comment on- the fact that he was daring enough to break the rules was admirable. Joey had never been able to do that, and anyhow, Joey was sure that his younger self had been a fool to think he wouldn’t ruin any relationship he imagined himself in.

Nathaniel Lawrence though was a sign of rule breaking in the right direction, and a sign of love that Joey had never been able to grasp. Joey always thought it was for the best.

The kids looked at the sandwiches on their places in consideration. “I don’t like lettuce.” Joleen said, taking apart the sandwich to remove the leaves, putting them instead on Nate’s plate.

Nate made a clicking sound with his tongue, to get Joleen’s attention. Joleen took Nate’s sandwich from his plate, and then ate off the crust. At least Joey could count on the kids to look after each other and know what each liked. Joey couldn’t call the kids picky, because Joey had cut off the crust from his own sandwich.

As the kids finally started their lunch, Joey glanced at Nate, who’s mood had perked up with the applications of food and stories. Both kids had followed along with the stories with intent, helping Joey come to a conclusion. Joey couldn’t remember at first if his grandnephew was a deaf-mute or just mute, but he was sure now just mute since the boy seemed to be following along more than he ever could just reading lips.

He hadn’t even seen these two since Johnny Lawrence’s funeral two years back, and he hadn’t paid them much attention. He was only at the funeral anyways to metaphorically spit on Johnny’s memory. Johnny had been in prison since 1931, until his death back in 1961. Trapped for 30 years. Prison? Pipe Organ? It all worked out in the end.

From this short time now in their presence, it was evident Joleen was much a Lawrence, with her casual musical hum in between bites and a more chaotic aura that radiated despite her keeping pleasant for now, but she had her mother’s red hair and sense of adventure, or so said Elwin once. Joey had never met Joleen’s mother, and had nothing really to go off of.

Then there was Nate, who took more after his Polk side, with his calculating and thoughtful and intelligent gaze. Still, those gazing eyes were hazel, Sammy and Elwin’s eye color, and no amount of Lorraine Polk’s genetics could drown out the distinct Lawrence quirks.

For one, Nate’s chair creaked as he moved his foot in a beat. Sammy had always done that. Fidgeting and humming and making other random little sounds, and Joey had tolerated it all because of the musical draw of the cartoons that Sammy seemed to understand despite his loathing for being stuck as he was.

Then he’d gotten a normal job after the studio shut down and took up being an author on the side, instead of continuing his music career, for some reason. He had all opportunity to try for it, yet seem content with his other endeavors. _‘I had to support my family’_ as Sammy had claimed once, just seemed like such a waste of talent.

Kids were an expensive waste of time anyways.

That, and of all the people who had died the last few years, Johnny, his old pal Henry, several of Joey’s older sisters, and a few former employees whose partners and families sent back letters confirming their demise, why couldn’t Sammy have been among the numbers? Sammy was even sixty-four now, older than even Joey and several others that had passed on.

It just didn’t seem fair.

Joey found it hard to describe why he hated Sammy specifically. He just _...did._ And now he was stuck with the man’s grandkids. Well, two of them. Sammy had four kids with Marjorie, plus two from a previous relationship, an adopted son, and a couple bastards from randoms. So, the man had many grandkids and great-grandchildren in turn. Joey personally thought it a little excessive, even growing up in a large family himself.

Although that was just him disliking family, he was sure.

Joey’s musing was broken when he heard a shrill laugh, and he focused back on the kids and the rejected lettuce was now in Joleen’s hair. She was laughing, pulling it out and tossing it back on Nate’s plate, while Nate smiled and made a few odd wheezes. His form of laughter.

One thing Joey admired in children was their often ability to bounce back or at least internalize after trauma. Nate’s movements were a little static, but he was smiling and laughing and having fun.

Having Joleen certainly must have helped. Joey probably wouldn’t have made it as far as he did without Marjorie looking out for them.

These were in fact Marjorie’s grandchildren too. They were Lawrences, but they were hers too. His perfect older sister who took decades to finally give up on him.

Elwin was her son. This was all her family. How was she taking all this? Maybe he should phone her…

Joey shook off the idea. No point. These kids would likely be gone by evening and Joey would wipe his hands clean of this whole mess and go right back to being alone.

Just how he liked it.


End file.
